Regenerative open hearth furnace system



July 7, 1936.t w. J. TouRvlLLE A REGENERATIVE OPEN HEARTH FURNAGE SYSTEM Filed NOV. 19, 1935 1N VEN TOR. zzfz///e.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 7, 1936 rient ries 'i y REGENERATIVE OPEN HEARTH FURNACE SYSTEM William J. Tourville, Detroit, Mich;

Application November 19, 1935, Serial No. 51,628

9 Claims.

My invention relates to open'hearth furnace systems and morerparticularly to a regenerating system for use with metal treating furnaces.

It is an object of my invention to provide a regenerating system of improved thermal andv mechanical efciencyfor applying the heat of the exhaust gases of furnaces to preheat the ingoing air. Y

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a system whichis especially suitable and efficient for installation and usewith reversely blown open hearth furnaces of the rolling type of construction.

It is also an object of my' invention torpro'vide an open hearth furnace regenerating system' wherein heat-storing checkers having vertically spaced ports, are moveably supported in counter# balanced relation for simultaneous movement in vertical directions to position the parts for operatively inter-connecting between blower ports, furl nace ports and stack ports whereby the gases passing to and from the furnace, flow unidirectionally through the checkers in interchangeable order while they pass in reversible directions v through the furnace. Y

The invention itself, however, both as-to itslar rangement and its method of operation together with additional objects and advantages thereof,

will best be understood from the following de^ arranged with a regenerative heating system in accordance with my invention; and

Figure 2 is a sectional View on line 2-2 thereof. L

Referring more particularly to Figure l of the drawing, I have illustratively disclosed my in vention ln operative association with Van open hearth furnace of the rolling type although it will be understood that in its broader aspects the principle of my Vinvention is alsoapplicable to other types of furnaces, both movable and star tionary. The rolling type of furnace, as shown,

comprises a substantially cylindrical outer shell I of sheet metal having its opposite ends restricted and partially closed by frusto-conical caps 3 of sheet metal providing open end ports 5 in the center. The end caps 3 are secured, to the cylindrical shell l in any well known manneras by welding or riveting, and the entire structurev is` suitably lined with refractory materials-in a manner well known in the art.V The linings are provided in several layers 1, 8and 9'to`provide suitable heat insulating and resisting properties in the usual manner and the innermost layer 9 of the lining is a temporary coating which is-applied at the beginning of the heat. The opposite-ends of the cylindrical shell I are provided with laterally projecting flanges I I comprisinggude rails which rest upon flange Wheels I3 for rotatively Y supporting the furnace. The wheels I3 and rails II may be smooth or cogged as desired. vThe vflange wheels I3 are operatively secured upon a l0 shaft I5 which extends through both of them and which is journalled in bearings I'I supported upon columns I9 rising from the floor 2|. One end of the shaft I5 is operatively connected to a source of Vpower 23 such as an electric motor through suitable coupling means which may comprise a friction clutch25 and suitable speed reducing gears 21. As shown in Figure 2, two flange wheels I3 are provided in circumferentially spaced relation for supporting each end of the furnace.

In the side wall of the furnace is provided a suitably plugged spout 28 for tapping the furnace and a loading opening 29 which extends through the steel shell I and the various layers of heat- Y resisting linings for loading the furnace.- For `25 tapping the furnace to draw the molten metal, the plug is removed from the spout 28 and the motive means 23 is operated to rotate the wheels I3 which thereby rotates the furnace and turns .the spout 28 to the lower-most position.

When the furnace is -in operation, the motive means 23 is suitably controlled to rotate the 1 furnace and turn the spout 28 to an upper position Y at which time its plug is inserted and the loading opening 29 is suitably closed, for instance, it may be covered by a hinged cover plate 3l secured in any suitable manner as by a bolt 33. VThe cover plate and the spout plug thus prevent the escape of gases from the furnace, as will be read-VV ily understood.

For supplying fresh air for combustion in the furnace blower unit 35 of usual construction is provided-and is operatively connected through suitable conduits 31 and 39 with blower port members 4I and 43. In order that the Vblower unit 35 may be operatively connected selectively with either one of the blower port members 4I or 43 it is connected to either one of the conduitsVVV 31 or 39 through a selective two-way valve con-V trolling means which may be of any well'- known construction. The exhaust gasesY from'` the furnace are carried away through stack vent means "44 terminating in suitable stack` port members 45 and M and' supported by suitable brackets 49 depending from a frame comprisingA and air then enter the furnace with a high initial heat and give a much higher temperature in combustion than could be obtained without preheating. At frequent intervals the course of the air and fuel is thus reversed to efficiently utilize the heat of combustion which is carried out ofV the furnace by the exhaust gases for preheating the incoming air and fuel.

While the furnace is beingV fired, its position may be altered by operating the motive means or rotating it upon its axis. This does not in any way affect its connection with the regenerative system because the ports o-f the furnace are arranged in alignment with the axis of rotation thereof and the connection -is maintained by the sealing rings. By this arrangement the heat of the furnace may also be maintained while molten metal is being drawn through the tap-hole to a ladle which may be disposed thereunder as will be readily understood. In the operation of my system the cold fresh air and the hot exhaust gases always pass through the regenerative checker devices in the same direction by entering through the lowermost port and passing upwardly through the checker brick-work. The furnace, however, is reversely blown in intermittently opposite direction thereby heating the furnace uniformly.

It will be seen that I have provided a regenerative system for use with open hearth furnaces which is of simple construction and especially suitable for installation with rolling type open hearth furnaces by mounting the regenerative checkers in counter-balanced relation for simultaneous adjustment to their respective heating or cooling positions.

Aside from the specific embodiments of the invention herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed, that my invention may be utilized with other types of furnaces and that I do not desire to limit the invention to the exact construction herein set forth.

I claim:

1. The combination with a horizontally disposed furnace having spaced ports therein of means fo-r reversely blowing said furnace and applying the heat of the exhaust gases to preheat the ingoing air comprising heat storing ch-eckers dispo-sed adjacent the respective ports of said furnace, each of said checkers having a plurality of ports and means for movably supporting said checkers whereby they may be simultaneously moved to disp-ose respective ones of their ports in selectively associated relation with the ports of said furnace.

2. The combination with a horizontally disposed furnaoe having spaced ports therein of means for reversely blowing said furnace and applying the heat of the exhaust gases to preheat the ingoing air comprising heat storing means disposed adjacent the respective ports of said furnace, ports in said means, stack vent means comprising stack ports, blower means comprising blower ports, and means for moveably supporting the heat storing means for movement to alternate positions whereby they may be simultaneously moved to dispose their ports in various associated relations with said blower'ports, furnace ports and check ports to pass exhaust gases and ingoing air in the same direction through said means in either position of said checkers.

3. The combination with ahorizontally dis'- posed furnace having spaced ports therein of means for blowing said furnacein successively opposite direction and applying the heat of the exhaust gases to preheat the ingoing air comprising heat storing checkers disposed adjacent the respective ports of said furnace, each of said f checkers having-a plurality of spaced ports, blower means having blower ports for supplying air to said furnace, stack vent means having stack ports for removing the exhaust gases from said furnace, means for moveably supporting said checkers whereby Ithey may be conveniently moved to operatively associate the various ports of said checker with said blower ports, furnace ports and'stackports whereby the gases passing to and from the furnace blow unidirectionally through the checkers in variable order.Y

4. In combination a furnace of substantially cylindrical conformation,l means supporting said" furnace for rotation on al horizontal axis, ports in said furnace in oppositely disposed axialYV aligned relation, means for blowingsaid furnace" 5. In combination a furnace having spaced ports therein, means for reversely blowing said furnace in alternately reversible directions between said ports comprising heat-storing checkers disposed adjacent the respective ports of said furnace, each of said checkers having a plurality of ports associatable with the ports of said furnace, blower means comprising blower ports for providing fresh air for said furnace, stack vent means comprising stack ports for carrying the exhaust gases away from said furnace, means for moveably supporting said checkers whereby they may be conveniently moved to operatively associate the various portsA of said checkers with said blower ports, furnace ports and stack ports whereby the gases passing to and from the furnace blow unidirectionally through the checkersV in variable order, fuel supply means, and means for moveably supporting said fuel supply means whereby fuel may be admitted tothe port of the furnace which is receiving fresh air through the associated checker.

6. In combination a furnace of substantially cylindrical conformation, means for rotatably supporting said furnace for rotation about its axis, open ports provided in opposite ends of said furnace, means for reversely blowing said furnace in alternatively reversible directions and applying the heat of the exhaust gases to preheat the indrawing air comprising heat-storing checkers disposed at opposite ends of the furnace adjacent the respective ports thereof, each of said checkers having an inlet port and an outlet port, blower means having discharge ports for supplying air to the inlet port of either of said checkers alternatively, stack vent means comprising stack ports said checkers Vwhereby they may be conveniently Y' its inlet port connected with a discharge port of "nace portswhile the Yother checkerisy disposed Y versely blown open hearth furnace Vthe combina- Y moved to dispose either one of said Vcheckers'wlth the blower and its outlet port with one ofthe fur- With its ,inlet portradjacentrthe other furnace port and itsoutlet porta'djacent the stack Vport. i

VV7. In Va regenerative systemV for operating arretion ofV av pair of heat storing checkers, each of said checkershaving a pair of vertically spaced ports, and means for supporting said. checkers for.

vertical movement" in counter-balancedl relation Vwhereby they may be' simultaneously moved to Yzo Vinterchange the connection of theirs*respective 15-` 'furnace at the Yopposite ends thereof, a Vdrain opening in theA Yside wall of said` furnace, stack Vent meansffor carrying exhaust gases away from said furnace. comprising ports,1 blower Vmeans Y comprising. ports: for supplyingY fresh air` to said' furnace, aheat-storing checker disposedadjacent each end'of said fumace'vertically spaced ports in vsaid checker, means for moveably 'supporting Y said checkers Y in counter-balanced', relation wherebyrthey mayv'bersimultaneously moved fto n disposefeitherone1ofksaid checkers with itsl inlet Y Vport connected with a discharge' port of a blower andits outlet port with Vone of thefin'nacey ports while the other checker is disposed with its inlet port adjacent the other furnace port and its out--vr Y letY port adjacent the stack port and moveable fuel supply'means associatable with either onejj Y ofv said furnace ports.

`9. A'regenerative heatstorng Vchecker coIV- vprising a' receptaclehavlng vertically'V spacedV ports, heat-storing means disposed bretweenk'saidV ports forY intimatey thermal association with gases passed therebetween, and means on the upperV end of `said receptacle Vwhereby it maybe susi 2 I pended in a vertically supported position.

J. TOURVLLE. Y 

